MIPIM Middle East has unveiled the programme for its first edition, bringing global institutional investors, major project owners, developers and industry leaders together in Riyadh on October 20 and 21, 2026.
Held at Sofitel Riyadh, the event will connect the international real estate investment community with major development projects and urban transformation opportunities across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.
The inaugural edition will feature senior decision-makers from investment, real estate, infrastructure, hospitality and the public sector. Confirmed global investors include Aberdeen Investments, Arcapita, Clarion Partners, EQT Partners, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, Hines, Legal & General Asset Management, Schroders, UBS, GLP, Panattoni, Lazard, KFH Capital, Neuberger, GFH Partners, Equitativa, Madison Realty Capital and ING Bank.
Major hospitality and tourism groups including Hyatt, Kempinski Hotels, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Hotel101 Global, Accor, Marriott, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Shangri-La Group will also participate.
Focus on Saudi Arabia’s Development Pipeline
The event will bring together major real estate and investment organisations from across the GCC, including PIF-owned New Murabba and Soudah Development, as well as Dar Al Arkan, Cenomi Centers, Waha Capital, Mabanee, RAFAL Real Estate Development, Thakher Development, Assayel Arabia, OPM and RIKAZ.
The programme will explore investment and development trends shaping the region, covering capital deployment, urban development, hospitality, mega-events, innovation, technology and sustainable development.
A key session will feature Khaled S. Al-Khattaf, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority (SIPA), in a keynote interview titled “Riyadh at the Heart of Vision 2030: Regulation, Investment & Economic Transformation.”
The discussion will examine regulatory reforms, foreign ownership policies, capital market development and strategic investment initiatives supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambitions as an international investment destination.
Global Investors and Hospitality Leaders
Other sessions will bring together investors and industry leaders to discuss the strategies shaping the region’s real estate market.
The “Inside the Minds of Global Investors” session will feature Oliver Hogg, CEO and Board Member of Arzan Investment Management; Sara Nayef Al-Ateeqi, Vice Chairman and Acting CEO of Al Mal Investment Company; and Doha Hassani, Executive Director at Rava Partners – Hillhouse Real Assets.
Another session, “Branded Residences in the Middle East: From Luxury Asset to Lifestyle Imperative,” will explore the growing role of branded residences in the region.
Speakers include Dr Raihan Jumah, Co-Founder and CEO of Kingdom International Real Estate; Jaidev Menezes, Regional Vice President – Mixed-Use Development EMEA at Marriott International; Govind Mundra, Head of Development, Middle East & Africa at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Arif Shah, Chief Executive Officer of Flow – UAE; and Paul Kapiris, Head of Hospitality Middle East at Eastdil Secured Savills.
The programme is designed to create direct connections between international investors seeking opportunities in the region and the developers, project owners and policymakers behind its next phase of urban growth.
A New Chapter for MIPIM
MIPIM Middle East builds on the established MIPIM events in Cannes and MIPIM Asia in Hong Kong, extending the global platform into one of the region’s most active real estate markets.
Nicolas Boffi, MIPIM Director, said the Riyadh edition marks a new chapter for the MIPIM community by connecting regional investors, developers, cities and businesses with international capital and expertise.
Under the theme “One MIPIM. Three Global Markets. One Investment Community,” the inaugural event aims to strengthen connections between regional opportunities and global investors while highlighting the scale of development and investment taking place across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.
